It's Love
by CrashCourse777
Summary: Living peacefully in Karakura with Orihime, Ulquiorra gets an interesting piece of insight on the auburn-haired girl's feelings towards him. How will each react? One-shot.


**So, after re-reading my favorite Ulquihime fics for like the gazillionth time and despairing over the fact that there doesn't seem to be any new fics that are just there for fluff's sake and where I don't have to read through a complex plot to get to the good stuff, I thought "what the crap fanfiction?!" **

**Being a believer in when you want something done, do it yourself, I decided to write a plotless piece of unapologetic fluff. **

**Hope you like it! **

**P.S.- I wrote this at like 3:00 a.m. while watching South Park...let's see how that combination plays out. **

**P.P.S.- I don't own Bleach...are people even still bothering to put disclaimers anymore? Jeez. **

* * *

It's Love

"You love her."

Ulquiorra lifted stolid eyes from the juice box in his hand to the tomboyish teenager across from him. They, along with the three other human females she was friends with, were sitting in a circle on the roof of Karakura High School eating lunch.

"Is that what you think?" He responded evenly.

"It's pretty obvious," Tatsuki stated, leaning back on her hands in her cross-legged position. To be honest, she had been meaning to come right out and confront the emotionless man on his feelings for her best friend a long time ago. However, Tatsuki had found that tactful questionings about his relationship with Orihime failed to penetrate him, even though she and everyone else could tell the Arrancar was obviously in love with her.

"Yeah, you're always really close to her." Michiru meekly added, though she quickly diverted her eyes to the bento in her lap when Ulquiorra's toxic gaze slid towards her.

He had become quite used to the females' curiosity when it came to his relationship to Orihime. Although, he admitted that the brash teen before him was more forward today, making a statement rather than an inquiry. From his place on the roof, he could sense Orihime's reiatsu and that of the dark-haired shinigami she was pleasantly conversing with below.

"My proximity to the woman is expected, seeing as to how we reside in the same dwelling."

"No, no. We don't mean close to her like that. By the way, I still don't like the fact that you're living with her." Tatsuki explained, waving her sandwich in the air for effect. "We mean you're almost always staring at her in class and an inch away from her in the hallways like you're her shadow. And I've seen you play with her hair when you thought the two of you were alone between classes."

Ulquiorra took this information visibly impassively; moving to sip his juice and feeling the refreshing fruity flavor wash over his tongue. "As my purpose being in this world is to observe you humans, I find that the enigma of emotions is most prominently presented in Orihime's person. The reason I venture so close to her when we walk is to dissuade the foolish males of the population from approaching her. As for her hair, the color and texture occasionally raise urges within me to closely examine it." Ulquiorra intoned passively.

Inside, he was somewhat irritated that someone had witnessed his momentary indulgence in the strange urges that would consistently plague him when he was within Orihime's presence. The way the woman's soft hair had felt between his fingers, satiating the tingling feeling within them, the sweet smell of her skin, the way her cheeks had blushed under his ministrations. Yes, he had wanted that moment all to himself.

Tatsuki leaned forward, perfectly intent on continuing her interrogation. "Okay, then tell me. How long do you plan on staying with her?"

The former Arrancar glared steadily into the girl's equally steady gaze before finally answering with little room for argument. "I plan on staying by Orihime's side for eternity."

Satisfied, the girl leaned back. "Yeah, dude, that's love."

The juice box slightly collapsed as Ulquiorra finished the remainder of its contents before responding. "You humans may label my actions however you want." His lunch finished, Ulquiorra rose to take his leave. Just as he made his way to the door, Tatsuki cupped a hand around her mouth and yelled.

"For what it's worth, _she_ loves you!"

Ulquiorra paused for a millisecond, almost imperceptively, before continuing through the door without looking back. Once in the seclusion of the stairwell, he allowed himself to ponder the strange spinning feeling in his chest.

* * *

Orihime was chatting charmingly about her conversation with Rukia as she and Ulquiorra made their way back to their apartment. Ulquiorra stared forward all the way, not making any comments. The auburn-haired girl paused in her ramble, noticing how his mind was far away.

"Ulquiorra, is everything all right?" She asked, worry seeping into her eyes. For a moment, it seemed like Ulquiorra hadn't heard her, before he turned his head, his green eyes connecting with her gray.

"Everything is fine." He responded smoothly.

Orihime lowered her eyes and played with the strap of her school bag. "Oh, um, it's just you seemed really out of it."

Ulquiorra, seeing he was causing her distress, answered as normally as he could. "I have merely been thinking."

"About what?" Orihime inquired, her eyes sparkling with interest. Ever since he had come to live with her, Orihime had always been curious about his thoughts and diurnal experiences. She wanted to know how he was adapting to life in the human world. Whenever he tried something new, like visiting the sea or trying her special wasabi and bean paste sandwiches, she always loved to see the minute changes in his impassive face, the slight shifts of light in his eyes that told of so much more than he knew how to convey.

Ulquiorra hesitated in replying. He was used to her curious inquiries, but wondered how she would respond to the thoughts that were coursing through his mind. His curiosity overshadowing his heed, Ulquiorra posed his question in the simplest way he could.

"Orihime, what are your feelings for me?"

Had Orihime been drinking a beverage, it probably would have been spewed. "W-what do you mean, Ulquiorra?" She attempted to answer nonchalantly, the heat rising and rising to her face. Her heart pumped frantically as he continued to gaze at her intensely and patiently. "You k-know I like you. I like all of my friends!"

Ulquiorra nodded, having heard this information before. "Tatsuki Arisawa claimed that your feelings for me transcended those of platonic attachment and resided in the realm of what you humans refer to as 'love.'"

Orihime's face turned an impossible shade of red as she sputtered to cover her embarrassment. This had to be a dream. Ulquiorra confronting her about her feelings outright and openly? Please let the flying elephants soar over the building to prove this was a dream...nope, not happening. "Tatsuki-chan said that? When was this? What ever happened to the unbreakable bond of secrecy between friends? You know, she really should be more focused on her own relationships…"

"Do you deny her claim?" Ulquiorra inquired, his eyes dead-set on hers. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, waiting for her answer.

By now, Orihime's hands were twisting the strap of her bag to oblivion, her eyes shifting to her feet. "I-I, um, I…"

Lifting her silver orbs, she connected them to Ulquiorra's verdant irises and all thoughts seemed to drown away in the furious pounding of her heart.

"I…can't…" She mumbled quietly. She couldn't deny that she loved him. In the amount of time Ulquiorra's presence had been a part of her life, Orihime had learned that she couldn't live without it. To not wake up to see emerald eyes greeting her in the morning and to enthrall in the little advances he made in his growing humanity, learning all the little quirks in his visage that belied his new-found heart, was impossible.

Hearing her shy response, Ulquiorra felt that spinning sensation in his chest again. Only this time, it was stronger. Seeing the way Orihime held his gaze with the steady truth of her words, even through her heated blush, caused the beating of that strange organ in his sternum to push everything in his peripherals away until all he saw was her.

Feeling the same tingling in the tips of his fingers that had impelled him to feel the softness of her tresses, Ulquiorra lifted his hand to gently caress the side of her face. Cupping her cheek, he felt the heat of her blush against his palm and the rush of her breath on his wrist when she released a trembling sigh.

Her hand lifted to cover his own and Orihime, seeing the multitudes of shades reflected in his eyes against the afternoon light, couldn't contain the question that bubbled from her lips.

"Do you love me, Ulquiorra?"

Immediately, she regretted asking such a loaded question. She knew Ulquiorra was was new to the human experience of emotions. To ask him if he felt the epitome of human affection and for her of all people…

Instead of seeing the cynical rejection she expected and feared, Orihime was surprised when those shades in his eyes began to scintillate with something unidentifiable. Languidly, as if the world had gone in slow-motion, she saw him lean closer.

Ulquiorra was mesmerized by the range of emotions this woman was displaying: affection, despair, hope. All these things playing out in the palette of her argent orbs. It was breathtaking.

Initially, Ulquiorra had only wanted to take a closer examination of the emotions swimming in the pools of her eyes. But then he felt her breath on his lips. Ulquiorra could feel her body heat with how close he was to her. Completely transfixed, he watched as her eyes seemed to cloud over when his lips paused just a centimeter from her own, the grip he hadn't even realized she had on the hem of his shirt tensely tightening.

He really couldn't resist himself when she looked at him like that.

Slowly, he gently pressed his lips to her own. Instantly, he felt her gasp, could feel her thrumming pulse beneath his thumb when his free hand lifted to place itself on her neck.

Orihime never thought she would feel the world tilt. But she did the second she felt Ulquiorra's lips softly press against her own. Instinct, mixed with months of wishful dreams and silent yearns, caused her to kiss him back, her eyes blissfully slipping closed.

Ulquiorra's mind was eclipsed when he felt her respond to his kiss, feeling deep inside of him, deep in his bones that he needed more of this, needed more of _her_. Ulquiorra pulled her closer with the gentle hand that slipped to the back of her neck. Orihime's own free hand traveled from the hem of his shirt, up the expanse of his torso, to grip the collar.

Pulling away for breath, Orihime sighed shakily against Ulquiorra's lips as she tried to regain her senses. Her hand at his collar, she slipped it just the few inches away to his heart. She smiled when she felt it beating just as fast as her own. Ulquiorra, heady from her kiss, pressed his forehead to Orihime's, his green eyes gazing deeply into her gray ones.

"You asked what my feelings for you were."

She trembled as she felt the warmth of his words against her lips. Ulquiorra kissed her, lingeringly. His lips moved against her own as he replied to the woman with whom he was to spend eternity.

"You already know the answer."

Orihime, feeling impossibly warm, her heart filled to the brim, smiled.

In regards to Tatsuki, Orihime supposed she could let this one slide.

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**Liked it? Cool, let me know!**


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